Wish comes true for Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance

Thursday

Jan 2, 2014 at 9:30 AM

By Lisa.Ermak@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4219

Karen Kazyak is welcoming 2014 with a smile — a big one.As the adoptions, rescue and transport coordinator for the Allegan County Animal Shelter, managed and operated by Wishbone Pet Rescue Alliance, she is thrilled that in 2013 shelter staff saved more than 1,000 animals.The saved lives were thanks to a $10,000 grant the Allegan County Animal Shelter received from Best Friends Animal Society Utah.With the money, Kazyak began a life-saving transport program, providing gas money for shelter staff to transport at-risk cats and dogs throughout the state and place them in approved rescues, no-kill shelters or adoptive homes.The shelter’s annual transportation budget is about $13,000 to $15,000, so the $10,000 grant made a substantial difference, Kazyak said.Every Monday at 4:30 p.m., staff from the Allegan shelter drove to the Livingston County Humane Society parking lot, which is easily accessible from interstates 696, 75 and 94. Its central location, Kazyak said, made it easy for no-kill shelter or rescue staff to come pick up the cats and dogs who are at risk of being euthanized in Allegan.On Monday, Kazyak and other staff members made one of the final transports of the year, taking 26 animals, including several cats and pitbulls, to their drop off spot in Livingston County.Kazyak’s personal goal was to save about 1/3 of the shelter’s incoming animals by the end of 2013, and she did just that. As of 1 p.m. Tuesday, Kazyak said they had saved 1,021 of the 3,000 some animals they take in each year."We did what we were charged to do, which was to serve the animals of this county and give them hope," Kazyak said.In 2012, the shelter had a 67 percent live release rate, according to the 2012 Michigan Shelters by Save and Live Release Rate report.Kazyak said she expects that number will "change enormously" in 2013’s report, thanks to the grant from Best Friends.Allegan District Court Judge Bill Baillargeon commended Wishbone Pet Rescue and the work of the Allegan shelter on his Facebook page Tuesday morning."Three cheers for the Allegan County Animal Shelter and Wishbone Pet Rescue," he wrote. "I wanted to say good job and thank you for the great work you have done Karen, and Sara and the others at Wishbone and Allegan Animal Control. You make us proud!"While Kazyak said the shelter hasn’t received a grant to support a transport program for 2014, she’s confident they’ll find a way to continue their success."The show must go on. There isn’t going to be a stopping of this. We’ll look for applicable grants."— Follow this reporter on Twitter @SentinelLisa.

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